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Life gets in the way–this is something we have all experienced. The people with whom we choose to surround ourselves, the chances we opt to take, and the goals we set for ourselves set the tone for our success and, in many cases, our failures. One of the most effective methods for being successful is recognizing that you don’t have to go it alone. From learning with others to staving off those who ooze negativity, realizing that we are not expected to find our niche alone is the key to reaching goals of all types–not just goals related to business and career.

Leo Bottary, author of What Anyone Can Do: How Surrounding Yourself with the Right People Will Drive Change, Opportunity, and Personal Growth, sets forth some tidbits of advice regarding reaching goals and the realizations he has made along his journey. Interwoven with his own brief, high-interest anecdotes are words of wisdom from those he admires and from whom he has gleaned the most effective advice.

One of the most striking aspects of Bottary’s work is the stress he places on finding individuals who provide the appropriate amount of support but, at the same time, push us to reach our potential. Bottary effectively points out that the time in which we are currently living is an integral part of our ability to reach our potential. We essentially have everything we need at our fingertips, and our access to experts and the opinions and advice from others with similar interests and goals is ever-increasing. Bottary brings to light many points I had not considered as I am considering a career change myself and face my own negativity heading forward.

As an elementary teacher, I am stunned at the revelation Bottary makes regarding the time in which people tend to lose that feeling of invincibility. He points out that we are born believing we have no limits, but life tends to change that rather quickly. Specifically, he shares that by the age my own students are in third grade, they begin to second guess the fact that they can be anything they want and have what they desire. That was an eye-opening passage worth a second and third read to this teacher and mother.

Page after page, Bottary hits on one relevant topic after another related to the plans we make during our lives. I especially appreciated Bottary’s words on the changes we make related to career and business. My teenagers are about to graduate and set out on their own. Bottary emphasizes that the feelings my son is having about making a career choice and the pressure he feels to be sure about it now are validated by Bottary. I am more confident, after reading, in talking to him about the way in which we tend to change our minds about school and career paths.

What begins with the feel of a business-oriented self-help book turns quickly into an excellent source of inspiration for all readers.

Dare to Be the Change, written by Annella Metoyer, tells the story of Annella’s life and how she overcame adversities to be the change she wished to see in the world. Annella faces a world of segregation and judgement based on the color of her skin, but is determined to push through the racism and have people see her for who she truly is. This begins a world of firsts for Annella, from being the first colored cheerleader to the first woman of color to work in her local bank. Her life journey will inspire, and enlighten you as you learn what it takes to make a difference in the world.

Growing up in a small town of Louisiana, Annella lives in a time where racism was prevalent in the community. With society segregating everyone into two groups of “colored” and “white”, Annella struggles with her identity. This segregation continues throughout all of her schooling years; however, it was several teachers and adults in her life that showed her that she didn’t need to accept the injustice and inequality that society expected her to endure.

I admired the relationship Annella had with her parents and in particular the strength and support her father showed her throughout her life. Rather than allowing racism to control their lives, he would take a stance and voice his concerns about the unfairness of how children were treated due to the colour of their skin. He was also the instigator of her career as the first woman of color at a bank, forming the pathways of her strength and persistence for change.

Dare to Be the Change enlightens the reader with racial situations or expectations that show an unfair and unjust part of our history. Conditions such as separate school buses or being unable to enter a cafe through the front door if you were colored seem like a preposterous idea, but sadly they were the real-life situations that people had to endure every day.

Throughout the story, you can tell the author Annella Metoyer radiates a certain positivity and gratitude that I believe led her to achieve so many significant changes. There are times where she could have relished in the negativity, but instead, she talks about the positive people in her life that helped her grow and become more confident as a woman. Annella’s endurance and strength to stand up for what is right is a trait to be admired and one that we don’t often see in the world. Annella’s hard work ethic and ability to prove herself in her career is just one way she initiates change as she begins to show others that there is more to a person than the color of their skin.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for an inspirational story that will motivate you to be the change you wish to see in the world.

Change is important for progress. Change ensures that the business environment stays fresh. It puts the organization on a viable path to success. It breaks monotony.

Craig Borysowich covers a variety of business processes that are required to introduce and manage change. This book will arm the reader with the necessary skills to ensure they can effectively and successfully effect change in the organization. This book covers a range of business related issues and factors that lead to the ease and improvement of performance in the business environment.

Whether one is instrumental in the introduction of change or merely a supporter, they need to understand the unintended consequences of change. There is need to understand how to handle situations that could arise from the change and how to deal with the aftermath. Utilizing the tools found within this book will raise the chances of success for a change agent.

The Better Practices Guide to Change is filled with useful samples, examples, and templates that are directly applicable to the business environment.

The author does a good job of delivering the content in an understandable manner. The outline encourages better perusing of the material. The format is efficient and does not distract the reader from the subject at hand. The worst thing about books in this genre is where the author gets braggy and condescending. The author does not commit that faux pas. He gives advice in a manner that leaves the reader feeling knowledgeable, smarter, and not stupid for not having known prior to reading.

Everything from the format to the material is deeply researched. One can tell that there is experience. The author does not try to aggressively force his ideas onto the reader but rather imparts knowledge for the taking at the reader’s discretion.

The subject has been exhaustively explained. All six sections cover different aspects of change in a way that leaves all questions answered. This book is like an elderly mentor. The author holds the reader’s hand through the sections, explaining each point and frequently pausing to check that they have understood. After reading this book, one will feel like they have just encountered their mentor through real world training.

This book takes on a very serious tone. It may at times feel more like a textbook than a guide. However, this is not a deterrent to the delivery. One will still get the message.

Craig has created a great reference guide. Often people who are responsible for the change process might have doubts about the change itself or doubt which route taken to achieve it. This book will help them review and revise if possible. It will affirm which plan is the correct one and therefore refresh one’s faith in the change. Change does not have to be a big scary ogre, and Craig ensures it is not.

We all face various trials and tribulations through life, learning lessons along the way. We face a good majority of these during adolescence, especially in that gray transitionary age between teen and young adult. Sam – A Girl Undercover is a story of just that, the decisions, insecurities, and questions we face when learning our place in the world. We follow Sam as she struggles to accept herself and her flaws while trying to figure out her emerging feelings for boys. It circles around the various hurdles of social responsibility and the comfort we take in our friends and family, even when they cause us some exasperation.

This story is one that many will find them selves relating to, though is definitely more female oriented. Eva Beaty gives words to a lot of the issues so many of us face growing up, representing such through Samantha, or Sam as she prefers. She carries a birthmark that fields a lot of insecurity and self doubt, something that is very common among young women. We all have that flaw we constantly try to hide. That quirk we spend so much energy trying to not show. Through the various relationships Sam navigates, it’s easy to place ourselves in her shoes – changing our image for fear of judgement of others and yet seeking acceptance and love for who we are naturally.

Yes, Beaty does a good job of sharing a story that is easy to relate to; it could easily be a relative, a friend, or even ourselves in not just the part of Sam, but other characters as well.

The story is as I said relatable, but hard to read. The writing style is short, clipped, and jumpy, making it hard to really immerse yourself. I felt that the characters lacked depth which makes this book relatable but it’s also a draw back – the characters could be anybody, and I wanted something to make these characters stand out as unique in my mind. The story was also fairly predictable, I kept expecting some dramatic twist, but it was all fairly straight forward. It almost reads like a script versus a book, focusing on a lot of action and reaction, spending a lot of time in Sams perspective but with little supporting material. It has the potential to be a solid coming of age tale, geared toward female youth.

This is a story that shows just how complicated interpersonal relationships can become when we jump to conclusions without all of the facts, or omit the truth due to timing or fear of the reactions it could receive.